Kyou kara Ma no Tsuku Jiyuugyou! - Volume 5

CHAPTER 7

Flynn Gilbit’s story dragged on for an eternity. We had to suffer through six whole years of her life. But people can demonstrate remarkable staying power when a beautiful woman is making a passionate confession.

“The parliament will deal with Norman Gilbit’s death,” the representative from Small Simaron eventually said. “But back to my original concern: Norman… no, Flynn Gilbit, is it true that you have spoken out against Small Simaron’s war plans and independently launched an anti-war movement?”

“Absolutely not,” was her answer.

I was a little disappointed. Damn it, was there not a single, solitary pacifist around here?

Maxine wasn’t convinced. “Then how do you explain the rumors about Gilbit?”

“Which rumors?”

Maxine helped himself to my chair, sat down, crossed his long legs and said, “I’m talking about the Wincott Poison.”

And so once again here in this foreign country, Julia’s family name became the topic of conversation. When Adalbert — supposedly her ex-boyfriend — heard this name, his eyebrows twitched slightly.

“We heard that someone wanted to turn certain people into unwilling marionettes with the aid of this Wincott Poison.”

“Well, would you listen to that! And who might that be, if I may ask?”

Despite the heavy accusations, Flynn responded with cold-blooded composure. Her delicate voice was long gone. Now she spoke like a true ruler.

“That is precisely what we wanted to learn from you. The Wincott clan moved to the west long ago and settled in the Demon Empire. But we suspect the original poison is still to be found within these walls. Has it ever left this estate? Was it perhaps even sold?” Maxine demanded.

Flynn tilted her head slightly to the side. The corners of her mouth formed a smile. Her beauty attracted all gazes straight to her.

“But of course the Wincott Poison is stored in our cellars. And for the right price, we are always prepared to hand it over to a third party. Naturally, that includes you, Sir Nigel Weiz Maxine.”

Maxine’s lips contorted savagely amid his extravagant facial hair. Apparently, being addressed with his full name by Flynn Gilbit really rubbed him the wrong way. “Then why don’t you tell us who the last purchaser was?” he said.

Meanwhile, Butler Baker sat in his chair again, and the maid who had taken such good care of him served tea.

“I’m sorry. I’m not able to give you the answer to that question,” Flynn said.

Without her mask, she gave the impression of being extremely determined. Every sign of insecurity had vanished. She even took on a threatening attitude. In the three years of ruling under the mask, her face had surely looked exactly like it did in this moment.

“You can’t escape me that way, my dear. It is the duty of a vassal state to answer to the colonial power.”

“You are beasts that take the form of men. Wolves should quarrel with wolves and foxes with foxes. Driven by greed you seek out human settlements, you shameless fools! This clever girl carries out her duties with a smile. And you dare to harm even a hair on the head of this enchanting creature?!”

Those who were witnessing this display for the first time were speechless with terror.

“With deadly poison, you play your game. And only for the question of its whereabouts was this brave person harmed. Doing nothing to stop this evil — that is appalling. Should it be that such creatures come away unpunished? No, it should not.”

He pointed at the shocked duo of Flynn and Maxine in turn. He stepped forward on his toes and turned his side towards them. This supermodel pose had become second nature to him.

“You are barbarians! Though it is repugnant to me to misuse such a valuable drink that should instead delight the palate, this evil must be detoxified. My wish was not to take lives, yet you leave me no choice. My sword will strike you down!”

Although there was always some drivel about a sword from this guy, he had never made use of one.

The broken teapot’s spilled contents, along with the remnants of tea in the teacups that had dropped to the floor, all flowed together into a large puddle.

“W… what is that?!”

Out of reflex, Flynn lifted her feet off the floor. Still sitting on her chair, she wrapped her arms around her knees like a child.

Maxine, the other target of this punishment, assessed the situation in a more relaxed manner. What he was seeing for the first time in his life was the so-called “magic.” The sight of it might be nauseating, but there were also some exorcists who let themselves be carried away into tasteless acts.

Adalbert had torn the heaving maid out of Maxine’s grip. His attention was focused much less on the pool of tea slowly taking on humanoid form, and much more on the faintly glowing blue demon stone on Yuri’s chest. But that stone belongs to the Wincott family, he thought. Susanna Julia had always worn it, ever since birth. What was it doing hanging around the neck of this lout? Who the hell had given him Julia’s demon stone?!

The red liquid, which had by now formed a veritable lake, stilled for a moment, resembling the surface of a calm sea. Everyone breathed out. But even before they could breathe in again, the liquid drew itself up into a human shape that nearly grazed the ceiling. With the four fingers of its hand, it formed a pistol and pointed it directly at Flynn and Maxine.

“W… what? An angry tea-god?!” exclaimed Murata, the only one standing behind Yuri. He was undecided as to whether it was something to fear or something to laugh at.

Again and again, the tea god fired red shots out of its fingertips at its targets. Fear was written across the faces of those being fired upon. To a casual observer, the whole thing might have looked like a fun game. Perhaps the Demon King was holding himself back, since there were few true villains in this arena.

“The judgement will be enforced in a small scope!”

Red liquid sprayed forth; both targets were soaked. For Maxine, every drop became a blade, and they saturated his arms and cheeks with cuts. The drops bombarding Flynn were about the dimensions of raindrops. She wouldn’t even get bruises from them. Thus, the Demon King remained ever the gentleman, even in undeserved cases.

Adalbert snatched up a receipt that had fallen from the apron of a servant who had fainted.

Why was it that Yuri was able to use magic on human territory? There really shouldn’t have been any elements in this small town that would obey the demons.

Soap, de-wormer, black tea (from Kakil), he read. Aha! Kakil lay on the border of the Demon Empire. That’s why this black tea obeyed the orders of a demon.

Meanwhile, Shogun Yuri seemed to be missing something. He looked all around searchingly. “Oh well, it doesn’t matter.” He gave a resigned sigh, apparently not finding what he’d been looking for.

But it was there! In the middle of the snow white tablecloth, a tea stain had formed the character for “justice.”